We always, always, always get ahead of ourselves with young players. “Ike Howard followed the Matt Savoie path, thrived, and hes a lock for a roster spot on a feature line” is what many of us are thinking today.
It’s important to take note of what we know, and especially what we don’t know. So, here’s a timeline I believe we can agree on:
- Oilers trade for Howard, a brilliant college scorer
- He struggles for NHL ice time and is sent down to the AHL.
- Howard works hard on the ‘away from puck’ aspects of the game, and impresses Colin Chaulk.
- Oilers fire Kris Knoblauch, hire Mike Babcock.
- Oilers have an active offseason, but leave Howard with enough room to find daylight on the 2026-27 roster, possibly on a skill line.
We don’t know what we don’t know, but Stan Bowman isn’t burying Howard in the same way Ken Holland buried Philip Broberg. I have been saying for several years the Oilers need to marble youth into the lineup, and am hopeful Howard finds his way in a fashion similar to Matt Savoie one year ago.
There are no guarantees. The passage above predicts the future for Ethan Bear, Evan Bouchard and Ryan Mantha. It’s from the summer of 2019.
In 2019-20, Bear would emerge as an NHL regular, playing 71 games, scoring 5-16-21 and delivering a five-on-five goal share that was impressive considering the team and the amount of time spent versus elites (via Puck IQ). He was a fifth-round selection who would go on to play 275 games.
Ryan Mantha had real promise as an NHL prospect, but lost his career to the eye injury. His 2017-18 season was quality and he looked to be in the mix with several young Bakersfield blue when he got hurt.
Evan Bouchard ran headlong into Ken Holland in 2019, and the general manager put him on the ‘overripen’ plan that would eventually lead to Philip Broberg’s offer sheet. Stack ’em and rack ’em, Old Dutch made Bouchard wait until 2021-22 before finally allowing those cherry passes to McDavid free.
So, when we say “Ike Howard will make this team and play 75 games, score 20 goals and deliver a strong season” that should not be the reasonable expectation.
A reasonable expectation? I’ll say 50 games, 12 goals, and some time on depth lines in the season to come.
How can Howard impress Mike Babcock? Work his bag off away from the puck, get in the way of those passing lanes, turn over pucks that lead to goals. His natural talent will flow through, that’s a given. He has to do it in very little preseason playing time, too.
And one more thing. If Howard does play 75 games, and scores 20 goals, make sure to give him credit for it. If you predict that kind of production, and then say “it is what I expected” then you’re taking credit instead of giving it. Wildly unfair to the player. Your expectations of this player will be unreasonable if you project 75 games. There’s too much roster and coaching change for that kind of prediction.
Ike Howard is entering training camp with some positives. He’s a really good player who can do the toughest thing in hockey: score goals. He has a general manager firmly in his corner.
On the other hand, he will need to impress a new coach who will love Mathieu Joseph and has a veteran (Kasperi Kapanen) returning to the roster. Opportunity is there, but that doesn’t mean Howard shoots that gap. We do well to acknowledge the reality of the situation. Howard has a great chance, but nothing is guaranteed. If he plays most every night this season, for goodness sakes give the young man full credit. This is a steep climb.
On the Lowdown today, our feature guest will be Steve Lansky. We’ll talk Oilers offseason, CFL in Kelowna and World Cup Canada weekend. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
New for The Athletic: Oilers top-20 prospects
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7407406/2026/07/03/edmonton-oilers-prospects-ranking-summer-2026/
Bahahaha.
I kmew they were a solid target for it and clearly “replacing and/or resign a huge part going tmof your defence core but OMG that is uncanny mess on que of the limitless cap dollars ducks are goimg to have.
Not too late to rerebuold there!!
Never imagined anyome would come in that high.
The harper hair lip kiss of death. Teams are going to have to start banniing him from bandwagon humps to their sleigh.
From my Condors POV, the best and by far most dominant line (by my eye text) was the early season (Nov-Dec-Jan) combination line of Howard+Hutson+Samanski. They dominated shift after shift, week after week. Why not try them as your fourth line to open the season?
There are far better NHL options than Quinn Hutson.
I truly hope Howard on the fourth line not under consideration.
I really, REALLY hope some team wastes 20M/year on Bedard. That’d be wonderful.
Won’t happen, Bedard wants to win.
Is it too early to start chanting for team Canada? Every game is down to the wire the Mexico game was the only no doubter. The altitude most sure screw a person up? The English have their work cut out for them in that hostile environment. Go Canada go that would be something to win tomorrow and face probably the French.
Switzerland Algeria was never in doubt. Shame, hoped for more if it wasn’t Canada.
Yes the path for the Swiss would have been wide open if Argentina would have lost. Columbia is a good team We are going to need ball luck Marsch has some good pace it’s the counter attack of Morocco. I hope Maxime puts on his hasek undershirt. I wish the game wasn’t so early it takes my bones till lunchtime to limber up. I’m going to where my Team Canada Cup jersey tomorrow morning.
IF ANA matches the $18M offer sheet, that would leave them with $17M remaining in cap space but it blows up any semblance of a reasonably balanced cap structure going forward. As an Oilers fan, I’m happy that Anaheim will either be cap strapped to the hilt if they match or lose their #1C for four #1’s.
From a Philly perspective, this is perfect. They either get Carlsson to be the #1C that they’ve been missing or they saddle ANA with a contract that absolutely damages their ability to build a competitive roster.
Cutter Gauthier WAS projected to be in extended in the $9M range (x 7 years) but if Carlsson gets twice that, Gauthier could be asking closer to $12M AAV. Gauthier doesn’t meet the requirements to be offer sheeted this year so small mercies.
Pavel Mintyukov was projected to be about $6M x6 on an extension but a second offer sheet could be tendered to him at $7.16M (1st and a 3rd round picks as compensation) and put ANA in an absolute quandry/quackery. It doesn’t even need to be the Flyers who offer sheet Mintyukov to screw the Ducks. (Oilers re-acquiring their 2027 3rd back from BUF would be…. hmm)
The Ducks were relatively quiet on July 1 and they ditched Zellweger, John Carlson, Gudas and Mason McTavish in the days prior trying to prepare for possible offer sheets to Carlsson and Mintyukov. Pat Verbeek openly said the Ducks would match any offer sheet to Carlsson and Philly wanted revenge for Cutter Gauthier forcing his way out of Philly. Danny Briere was happy to kick them in the nuts financially.
As a fan, this is “Everyone get your popcorn, the fireworks are about to start!’
The other thought I forgot to post was, “Hey, isn’t Connor Bedard an unsigned RFA?” If Philly misses on Carlsson, they could just turn around and offer Bedard 5 x $20.5M instead…
is there a limit on how many offer sheets a team can do in 1 year?
You can definitely do two. I know that for sure
There is no limit as long as you have the draft picks available to tender them (of course, if you have an offer sheet signed and out there, you cannot tender another with the same picks).
Draft picks and cap space.
Your right its revenge for Cutter. I don’t think they’ll match I wonder what the ask is for Larkin?
You need to dig a little deeper into the Ducks cap situation.
Vatrano, Krieder and Killeen all come off the cap after this season,
That’s 18 million right there some might be dumped this offseason.
Even without they could sign Gauthier and Mintyukov and get an additional $27 million cap space next offseason..
Its doable if not ideal.
Spec says the Oilers are not in the mix on Giroux.
Mercy. When was the last time that clown was right about anything?
He’s similar to Fib, just a walking embarrassment due to his own takes.
Spec doesn’t put out a ton of “Oiler insider info” but, when he does, he’s pretty much always right.
This isn’t “a take”, its something he’s been told and we know he’s inside the org.
Somethings fishy with the boon in salaries all across the league. I would say the G.M’s-Agents all know the cap is going to skyrocket more than they’re forecasting.
You have the new broadcast deal with Sportsnet about doubled from where it had been. The current US TV deal is up in 2 years and there is talk that this will go up significantly as well.
Then add another US expansion team in Houston (top 10 TV market) or Austin in 3 years, and league revenues are going to keep growing.
While smaller market teams may stay closer to the cap floor, large market teams will have no qualms about being aggressive and taking advantage of their cash flow – and Philly has never been shy about that.
Philly has always been shy about that they have Comcast as their owner.
If the Ducks decline to match, do the Flyers need help with cap space? I presume the reason they wouldn’t take Nurse without retention was because they knew this was their play and needed the cap room?
Would Howard+Emberson+Draft picks get you Tippet? Oilers get a bona fide top 6 winger with term, and Flyers get cap space and a potential bargain contract sniper? Hopefully Bowman is already considering what the spinoff of this offer sheet may be and tries to capitalize….
Tippett is like a dog on a bone unless the injury has hobbled him permanently. Howard would look good next to Leo. I would love to see that line with the Iceman getting his opportunity after being buried last year.
Wait until the trade deadline. Gives the Oil time to see what Howard can bring, and how Tippet heals.
Why does everyone want to trade Howard and his sub-$1 million salary?
Where does he fit? He needs PP time and he’s not a PKer. We finally have goaltending go get Tippett.
I know it’s not a popular opinion but I believe nuges pp spot could be opened up for someone else, hymans too. At least for a trial run. Or perhaps a pp 2 gets time.
Howard could be that guy. Or Savoie.
Tippet is likely an excellent fit for the oil but so is Howard if he’s used in the top 6.
Tippet would also be given pp time if acquired.
If Howard gets 20 goals and no pp time for a million bucks that has value.
With Babcock hopefully the PP looks stale at important times. KK could have tried Howard when Hyman was hurt but he went with Tomasek which is understandable. When Leon was hurt and K.K went with Walman in the Leon spot I knew K.K lost the plot. The whole year Savoie-Howard-Podkolzin should have been given feature lead up to the playoff minutes. We couldn’t even beat a loose team with a shaky goalie. Babcock is a dink I think most of the boys are passive and will enjoy a hard nose old school coach. I would love to see a Joseph-Dach -Clattenburg line. I think my man Clattenburg has the exact temperament for Babcock to harness. I also will not be silenced cheering for a 5th round 21 year-old who happens to play old time hockey.
I haven’t seen a single person on this site not cheering for Clattenburg.
I do think that Hyman’s time on PP1 will but cut back and he’ll be faded here and there but Nuge remains integral on the PP, in particular on zone entires and a clean first touch that creates time and space, consistently.
I believe the typical zone entry from the past few years will change somewhat as teams are starting to defend that better. Nuge will no doubt be able to adjust to a different concept.
The net front position has already changed somewhat to more of a flare out which Hyman has adjusted and does well.
I do believe there will be time when both players are off the pp maybe not this year.
But maybe this year.
Just to further discussion.
I’d be interested to have stats on the success rate of the typical oilers pp entry from years past or even early last season to the second half.
In my view other teams that used that entry have started to adjust.
Teams would have that broke down but is there a site that has that info?
Let’s not forget, the Oilers PP was running 33% when Drai got hurt – literally the best of all time, again. Whatever adjustments the opposition were doing was not working.
Where does he fit? Right in on the 2nd line beside Drai and on PP2 until injuries hit PP1 – not to mention, Hyman and Nuge are getting on in years and there will be ample PP1 time moving forward.
As far as forwards, all the Oilers have done from end of last year is move out forwards including US Olympic candidate and 20 goal scorer Jack Roslovic.
Howard is on his ELC, with two seasons left – he will provide insane value for cap hit for two seasons.
Because he is the only prospect we have that has legit value (I’d keep him too)
Exactly. I like him (and his current contract) fine, and have high hopes for him. However, we are in “win now” mode. i agree with LT about marbelling in the yutes, but he is the only player of value for trade on the team. If you can get another, slightly older, player, who fits our needs, proven top 6, cost controlled contract, then I would strongly consider it (health pending as pointed out by others).
I am also good with holding onto Ike until the trade deadline, as long as Babs gives him a change to shine. If not, his value is lost at the deadline and we have nothing to show for it. And nothing to trade to improve
Bowman needs to up his game the patty cake days are over. The Nurse trade is just the start it’s time to parlay Howard. Zito has gone full “Broad Street Bullies” mode Daniel Brière is throwing a wrench into 75% of the league but not us. We got fuked when Covid hit now we get a gift from Grier and Brière. Bowman needs to go full nuclear and get Tippett or similar player. Booooook it…………
The last thing you booked was Howard used as a sweetener to move Nurse.
I’ll bet his name was brought up with the Boston offer.
I don’t think everyone does. I think one person does, but they are a very vocal person.
Mike Grier furiously working on Celebrini and Smith extensions.
Celebrini likely the first player to top $20 million.
He’s got 53 million of space to weaponize, he’ll be able to sign all the talent the league has.
In a way players making more than Connor-Leon might take the pressure off them aka Malkin-Crosby I get money is money but at this point a happy fit might mean more than chasing the cash. Connor-Leon-Bouchard still have 3-4 Cups in Edmonton before they retire. We finally have a no nonsense (dink) coach with world class goaltending. I still think Bowman is going to parlay Howard into bona fide top 6 winger or even better a centre.
Got a source for that there conjecture, Sparky?
This Giroux talk is interesting. His role with Nuge and Dickenson would make a lot of sense.
I’d still put Howard in the top 6 for the first twenty games. Sorry, but a 4th line of three of Dach, Samanski, Freddy and Kapanen would be amazing.
IMO Janmark has something to prove.
He has already indicated he will sign in Philly.
That turned out to not be true, at least yet
Fib never shares untrue facts!…
Messi reminds me of Valeri Kharlamov. Both little guys that powered their way through defence that were twice as big.
Footy is interesting in that way, just like hockey or even the CFL/NFL.
Who’s better, the giant or the midget? I’d say it depends on the drive, as we’ve both seen flop and succeed in every sport.
I’ve seen St.Louis and Fleury golfing and they had thighs like tree trunks. This is no exaggeration I would say Kharlamov as well. Fleury was one hell of a hockey player he’s one of the few I liked in Calgary him and Staios. I think it’s time Uncle Steve makes a deal wish us. We send him Howard who would look real nice playing along side Stuetzle.
Fleury was a trail blazer in my mind. In that time of the game, the likes of Semenko were still patrolling the ice.
He was shorter than Kariya and Bure, still survived.
Saw him speak years ago publicly about the abuse he went througy and the work he’s done with first nations.
Now a days?? Stay the f away from that nut job haha
I like Fleury he needed that chip on his shoulder to survive in a harsher environment than today. As the saying goes “Those that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”
One would think this makes a long term extension in McDavid more expensive but I also can see him signing for less than max dollars/AAV yet again. Even after a couple more successful seasons, and even a cup, I can see him take less in the name of the team and winning.
The Sidney Crosby way. Cements the legend.
Frank Seravalli:
Leo Carlsson offer sheet breakdown with #Flyers:
July 10, 2026: $19.95 mil signing bonus
2026-27: $850,000 salary
July 1, 2027: $18.1 million signing bonus
2027-28: $900,000 salary
July 1, 2028: $17.05 mil signing bonus
2028-29: $950,000 salary
July 1, 2029: $15.2 mil signing bonus
2029-30: $1 mil salary
July 1, 2030: $15 mil signing bonus
2030-31: $1 mil salary
UFA at expiration: July 1, 2031
Total: $90 million over 5 years
AAV: $18 million
$38,900,000 payable in first 357 days.
#FlyTogether have seven days to match with first right of refusal.
Top notch GM’ing by Verbeek, all part of the plan! Now let’s get the owner on board! He’ll love the 400% pay raise, or whatever it is, I’m bad at math.
Your kiss of death is doing a number on your 2 new favorite teams already. Poor SJS and the Ducks.
Stauffer saying we could see Freddi or Dach at 4C with Howard and Samanski in the minors.
also implies we are in on Giroux.
Oh, and that we may trade a D for a forward/center making ~2.5M on a team that needs D. Maybe Shane Wright? I don’t know Seattle’s d well but it doesn’t look great
I don’t like it but, unless there are IR placements, two forwards need to be cut without any adds and the waiver exempt guys are the “easy route”.
There is essentially no time to compete for sports in exhibition now. I hope they keep Howard over one of Jones or Janmark but I have no idea what the coach’s plan is.
Yeah Howard needs a shot now. Should start in the top 6.
I bet teams are sniffing around for Howard? Most teams run 2 PP and I can see a G.M interested in a shoot first Hobey Baker winger in Howard. I bet Philly is interested? Howard playing the wing for Leo could really be a thing.
PuckPedia:
Several teams have approached Mintyukov’s agent @HockeyAgent1 about an offer sheet, and it seems likely at least one is formally offered today.
Mintyukov would then still need to decide if he wants to sign it.
Players should give 10% to Armstrong as offer sheeting is in play again. There’s a reason there was an unwritten rule between the brethren of no offer sheeting. Remember how Lowe was crucified for the Vanek offer sheeting. Michael Nylander dust up
was unique as well. Then there’s the famous Penner squabble between Lowe and loud mouth Burke. Lowe had his hands tied the Oilers had the grunts they needed 2 star players that could score. The offer sheeting basically ended with the Oilers and has gone full nuclear as a weapon to fuk over another sleeping at the wheel G.M
If Carlsson plays like how he started the season, year in and year out, he’s probably closer to the contract value.
5 current Oilers have scored more than 70 pts in a season. And Carlsson’s AAV wil come in just under Bouchard + Hyman + RNH.
Montreal got Demidov signed before this happened. A year early.
This is definitely good for the veteran-laden star teams. Especially those who have locked most of their stars up.
McDavid was always looking at a ~20/season (if he wants it) and Bouch is going to likely be a controversial mega contract, and those are the 2 biggest implications for our team.
Colorado in particular looks good as long as they budget another 10/season for Makar.
Calgary, Anaheim, SJ, etc are going to be paying premium for players with less runway.
Darren Dreger:
This will certainly juice the market according to several player agents. Carlsson had 4 teams present Offer Sheets and several who shard a high level of interest.
I was blown away with the news, in the sense of what’s the right move?
As much as it would be difficult for the next few years, I’d match if I was Anaheim. After what we saw from Carlsson last season, he is bona-fide. I’d say the 2nd best up and comer, next to Celebrini.
You have to match. It’s shit to pay that much but you can’t lose him.
I agree you gotta eat it and, like the Oilers(?), never make the same mistake again.
Pat Verbeek is not ready for prime time. When one knows this is coming, one should get out in front of it. He should have had an 8 x $15 mil plus offer on the table a long time ago. Or basically 8 x “insert your number” offer out to Carlsson.
The Flyers screwed Verbeek on duration, with a five year offer.
Instead Verbeek was trying to play it cute, waiting for Bedard to go first.
The Ducks have to match, but Verbeek should have proactively got this done.
Verbeek made himself a “sitting duck”.
I read he attended Jackson’s ‘How to be a NHL GM’ seminar last summer
Of note, Bowman signed Bouchard ahead of him becoming an RFA.
Of note, Bouchard’s deal was signed under duress from CARs rumoured offer sheet.
Yes, that’s the rumour but what Bowman did was get the deal done to ensure there was no such offer sheet.
Good on Briere for taking a flyer on the offer sheet.
They traded McTavish too early. Verbeek got punked worse than Jackson-Bowman.
This HAS to be related to the Cutter Gauthier saga, doesn’t it? A revenge offer sheet? We never actually heard what happened with Cutter and Philly other than that Briere thought they had a signing and it came out of left field. Did Briere find out that Verbeek was involved?
Fascinating stuff. The Oil should do the same with Neigbors/Blues next year…Although the last revenge offer sheet had Carolina stuck with Kotkaniemi…
Carlsson is worth the loss of four 1st round picks. The chances of such a franchise defining centre even in the worst case of 4 lottery picks is very low.
You don’t pick with those picks – you trade them.
Yep…take the picks, acquire Dylan Larkin (the picks would come in very handy) and move along.
This also presumes that Dylan Larkin want to go to Anaheim.
There is also the potential for the Ducks to offer sheet Jamie Drysdale in further escalation.
Ooohhhh…get your popcorn ready…
I would take Tocchet if anybody ends up out at the barn…
Him and Stan Jonathan could throw the right hands so fast that you would be begging for a left hand. I wish we had Tocchet over arrogant Babcock and Guérin over Bowman. Anyhow Bowman is on a hot streak keep it going by parlaying Howard+ for top 6er on a value contract.
Why would one offer sheet Drysdale? Small one dimensional offensive D who has been underwhelming so far.
Tenge is best served cold.
Frank Seravalli.
It’s fun canvassing the league on what Ducks Pat Verbeek might be thinking.
“Easy match, but it jams up their cap. Wonder if 3 years was a more potent offer.” – one GM
“I think Pat takes all four picks and works out a deal to go after Dylan Larkin.”
Elliotte Friedman
Key details from what I understand on Leo Carlsson offer-sheet:
Front-loaded and bonus structure, as we’d all expect
In the next 12 months, he will earn approximately $39M
No disrespect to Larkin, but I’d take Carlsson at his age. Better player… maybe. Better age and potential, definitely.
It’s not Carlsson vs. Larkin.…it’s Carlsson vs. Larkin + 4 1st round picks + $10 million in cap space.
No, its Carlsson, 4 1st round picks, $10MM in cap space LESS THE ACQUISITION COST ON LARKIN – think Detroit gives Larkin for free?
Dang, if the Leo Carlsson offer sheet is a look into the future, Draisaitl is going to be making 4th line money by the end of his contract. Lol
There’s no way I match that off I’m Anaheim, use 2 of the 4 first round picks in a trade to replace him and bank the other two to help your future.
Replace him? Replace him with who? He is your future
They finally made the playoffs after years of rebuilding. Carlson has the highest ceiling of all the players on the team. Philadelphia is a playoff team with Carlson in the lineup and playing in a weaker division, so those 4 picks will be in the late teens at best.
It sucks, but they have to match this offer.
One of the Ducks to prospects is 6’5” 200 C Roger McQueen.
Post draft he played one season in NCAA before turning pro and playing in the AHL at the end of the season.
Cutter Gauthier also plays C.
San Diego Gulls, 7 games, 1G, 2A. Yep sparkling prospect. Miles better than ANY Oiler prospect. Funny how that always seems to be your thing. Also lame.
Chris Johnston saying another offer sheet is likely today.
Bedard? Fantili? I could see Briere going after one of them if Anaheim matches
idk if bedard is worth a cheat sheet… you would think he would have been signed by now if he was generational or even carlson level
I think Giroux would be a great add. Crazy FO%, RS, has been used in a defensive roll last season, not easy to play against. Doesn’t play C full time anymore, and I’m not sure how they can fit him in playing around with PuckP, apparently they have talked to him
I signed SM at 1.2M, Dach at 950K, Giroux at 2M, traded Janmark, 23 players 5.5M in cap. Dach is waiver eligible, I doubt he clears. If it did happen either Ike or Samanski goes down or another trade, but who?
The only guys on the team that are pre JJ and Bowman are Connor, Leon, Nuge, Hyman, Ekholm and Bouch. I am a little concerned that they only have 4 centres one a rookie. Nuge and Fred have played C but not stuck lately, they could use another fill in type for C
Probably not going to happen, probably stays in Ottawa
Does Colton Dach still pay C? If they were to start Samanski and Howard on the farm to marinate until an injury happens (since they can only 13F if they don’t demote Jarry), it may make sense. Frederic, Joseph, and Janmark can fight over the two 4th line wing spots.
Looks like Giroux is signing with the Flyers.
A bit too bad but, truth be told, I want Howard to get a top 6 opportunity to start the season – its worth it to see how it goes for a while.
I heard rumors about Tarasenko coming here as a Plan B to Giroux. I am not a fan. That guy never takes a discount and stands in the way of Howard. Maybe if we hadn’t resigned Kapanen – but knowing Tarasenko, he will want $4m like Roslovic, since he got 20 goals too. No thanks, keep the space for the deadline.
Seconded
I second and third all of the above.
Would Tank actually be a better overall player than Ike? I doubt it at this point
I agree with this.
Tarasenko and Giroux are not comparable players – Giroux brings compete, top of league face-off ability, versatile up and down the lineup, etc.
Taraskenko simply blocks Howard as you mention.
Apparently this may not be official.
Holy crap, 5 X $18MM offer sheet signed by Leo Carlsson with PHI.
A very good thing for the Oilers – will they take 4 1st round picks and set their rise back?
Holy offersheet for Carlsson 18 mill! Philly
Brian Burke must be livid this sheet came in on the Friday of a long weekend – he has plans!
Can another team be jerks and offer Gauthier $12m or Mintyukov $6m right after? Or do they have to wait until the 10th?
Gauthier is NOT offersheet eligible.
If Carlsson is getting $18m, why would Gauthier get less. Here’s hoping someone pays Gauthier his $18m as well.
Centres have more value than wingers,
Wonder if Connor Bédard gets one, too.
i mean, Anaheim will certainly match this, I suspect they weren’t active in free agency precisely because they knew an offer sheet could happen.
But you’d thing teams would learn, after what happened to Edmonton 2 years ago, to get your important rfa’s done before free agency so you don’t have to worry about offer sheets at all.
I think they have to match. This is a lose lose situation but having carlsson on your team is the right call. Even if you could have had him for at least 6 mill less per year if you were on the ball as a gm
Elliotte Friedman.
The Flyers have done a 5 x$18M offer sheet for Leo Carlsson
We have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim center Leo Carlsson. The offer is a five-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $18M, which would require four of the Flyers first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation.
https://x.com/nhlflyers/status/2073121657003106382?s=61
There goes the copius cap space. Great grinding Pat.
$17M to sign Gauthier and the rest of the team. Senneke to sign next year too. Uh oh.
Grier is looking at next summers 53 million thinking he may need double that lol.
If the Ducks don’t match what do they receive?
4 first round picksApparently it is heavily front loaded to maki as painful as possible.
Not worth it. And the sort of player who clearly doesn’t care about his team winning.
Take the picks.
This is also why you don’t do long term rebuilds in the modern NHL. You can’t afford the team you build.
This is of course stupid – but it’s the path the NHL has chosen.
It is a huge market re-set as we’ve seen in the NFL,
And the NFL is exactly what they should not want to be.
MLB and even NBA are vastly superior sports-wise.
The NFL is the TV show with too many teams the NHL is chasing.
You take the picks 10 times outta 10. Carlsson is going to be a beast, but the Flyers are not so close that those picks wont be really strong.
2 1sts per year for 4 years can build a monster.
This has to be Gauthier related.
Just because a player wants to make money doesn’t mean they don’t care about their team or their team mates. Draisaitl didn’t give a discount and i don’t question his desire to win. Anaheim would be insane to let a talent like Carlson go.
In a capped league, it absolutely does. Every top end player who wants to win a title should think about it, and hire an excellent financial advisor to make up the difference. The teams could also facilitate that.
And Leo is injury-prone and hasn’t gone above PPG yet. Paying him 90M is lunacy.
But the logic you’ve just deployed is exactly what the agent is counting on.
I’ll never blame a player for wanting to make as much money as they can. Owners do the same, it’s why tickets are priced out of most people’s budgets today, why can’t the players?
They can – they’re just not going to max out their winning. Up to them.
And btw – if it is ticket prices you care about, the NHL needs to do what MLB does. They aren’t interested in that. Makes me sad.
You can’t have both. Either a player maximizes his earnings, or he maximizes his team’s competitiveness.
I’d say Leon did a team friendly. Carlsson’s agent probably told him that because it’s so front loaded (Friedman saying he’ll see 39M in the next 12 months) he can make a lot of extra money investing it rather than waiting for it to come. Really ups the value to him
Would you not take 90 million over 5 years to switch jobs?
Depends…do I have an alternative offer for 60 where I have a much higher chance to become a championship winning legend who can make a crazy amount post-playing and be remembered for a very very long time?
The second is worth way more.
Easy to say you’ll take $30MM less when you aren’t being offered that money.
@PuckPedia
The #Flyers statement says if the Carlsson offer sheet is not matched, they will provide their next 4 draft picks as compensation.
Even though a team must provide 4 1st round picks over 5 seasons at that threshold, there is no discretion on what years to provide. The picks conveyed are automatically the next 4 available. Since PHI has their next 4 1st round picks available, those are the picks that must be transferred.
More:
The Ducks have $35M in available cap space with 19 active players (11F/5D/3G)
If they match the Carlsson offer sheet they will have $17M in available cap space
RFA: Mintyukov, Hinds
10.2.c (not offer sheet eligible): Gauthier
Byram Bader has the Flames moving into the top spot post draft in prospect pool ranking passing #2 San Jose.
TEAM PROSPECT STRENGTH (JULY 2026 – POST DRAFT)
https://x.com/byronmbader/status/2073066539105038384?s=61
(click for full 32 team chart)
I don’t think this July 1 was anything like July 1, 2024.
The Oilers have left themselves some cap room, and they don’t have to worry about an offer sheet on one of their young talents. Unfortunately we don’t have talents like Broberg and Holloway to protect anymore.
I wasn’t really happy with the 2024 signings. I thought they should have quit after Arvidson and let Henrique and Skinner walk.
I am most excited about Mukh. High pick and pedigree. Other teams have invested development time. The exact player type the Oilers would throw away during the DOD and then would subsequently spike on a contender.
His AHL stats look quite good for a guy not pegged as an offensive contributor. Very surprised the Sharks gave up on him.
One concern for him will be ice time. Ekholm/Walman/Shea on the left side. I suppose Shea could shift to the right and bump Emberson, but Shea is supposedly much more effective on his natural side.
He can and has played the right side in San Jose.
Bowman has mentioned it multiple times including that he played more right than left last season.
I think he starts as the 7D if everyone is healthy but he will play (and, while I love Emberson’s ability to defend, his minutes/games could be at risk vis Shakir).
Did not know that, thank you sir!
If he is willing to learn he could be quite good, he has the tools. I don’t know him as a player, but he might think he’s Bouch in the making, and he’s not. He set the KHL scoring record for an 18 yo D iirc. 3rd opinion might help him there. He’ll succeed by developing a strong 2 way game, and putting on some weight
I love they got a legitmate defensive prospect in return like thst was as “in a perfect world” return as anyone could ever dream really.
Like thank you Nurse for opening up option for this to even be possible. Thank you bowman for doing a very unoiler type trade and come back with magic bean level clearly past best before due date expired busting prospects or like kaliyev just because he scored some timely goals for LAK years ago in a playoff series.
Like that was a stroke of above average GM work at least. Like where is this team based did it relocate?
They got Sharp as well, longer term but they like him. Bowman is good dealing with players that need a change clauses be damned
I think it’s very reasonable to argue that, with the prices and contracts being given out over the last week, every single contract the Oilers signed this off-season is either extremely reasonable or clearly below market AAV.
Both Dick and Murphy got term but their AAV’s are both below market, for example.
Andersen at $1MM on the cap? Seriously? The performance bonuses are $1.8MM max and some of them are based on playoff success. Given the cap space, even if they best, they may not even create a cap penalty for next season.
Even Kap at $2.6MM for only a year – great deal in the market.
Ryan Shea – $4MM is below value for what he brought last season. We expect progression but that cap hit for 5 years for his prime may turn out to be a big value deal.
Joseph at league min – he wanted a near $3MM AAV for term a few years back. Super fact, great defensively and Pk – at league min. Multiple 30 point seasons in the past.
Yeah I feel pretty medium about Dickinson and Murphy but the contracts certainly look better after July 1st.
They had holes that needed add -> given options in just for money bin.
At prices they got good as you really might have found.
At least 1-2 million more thpse 2 cost surely if he waited to sign them against competition i’d bet.
Given what was out there: above averaged compared to his competition.
They are plus or minus at least as good as post deadline at start of season. Have long/mid/short solid goalie bets in place options.
They have, by cap hit at least, way better balanced dollars distributed on backend. They even have reasonable bets to cover aging vets transitioning out of top 4 sort of depth…like ekholm and murphy two solid as you can get type dman to shelter pair developing dman next 2-4 seasons if they require minute reductions due to age/wear.
They have their highest ace in conversation for most impact league wide and like freak talent amy sport dman on a steal of a contract.
And they aren’t in cap hell have guys unable to take night off for maintenance or they’d play short roster until emergrncy callup kicks in. Like the cap limbo logistics last year and year before was beyond absurd. I think both times it lead to nagging injuries carried into playoffs past few years.
Like this is the most confident i’ve been in a decent base to start season.
I think a lot of the top teams missed the bus last season with the flat cap/compressed season with the cap compliant roster alteration.
I think at leasy some of the top tier GM’s, bowman thank gord one of them, actually got it on 2nd pass with the extra cap in hand:
Carolina almost cake walked along for good reasons. They didn’t run their top end into ground with skinniest roster you could get away with all season like everyonr else did. And without the mark stone cap cheat code system cap in hand and spares added whole team healthier replacements you aren’t likely in the real competition as you might think you are.
Rules are different. Most of the win now are capped out going into the season. This adjustment is truly encouraging for me they might be im better shape than expected when they get in not if.
Room to wheel and add -> with or withiut injuries happening. Right angle IMO.
Not sure if it’s been noted but it’s come out via Mike Grier that the Oilers were adamant that Zach Sharp be part of the deal. Bowman says he really noticed him and saw him good in their various trips to get eyes on Owen Michaels.
We’ll see where this goes but he was not a throw in in this deal – he’s a prospect of note for management. Should be an interesting follow this coming season.
reminds me a bit of the Dach acquisition in that he felt like a bit of a throw in at first, but there’s some legit possibility under the hood
I cannot find the exact article but did anyone else hear Nurse’s comment about hearing about the San Jose locker room from Sharks players? That he heard positive comments about it. I’m just speculating but could that be a shot at what’s going on in the Oiler locker room?
FWIW, Dick and Murph sounded pretty pumped with what they experienced as new Oilers.
I doubt it. It was probably one of the factors to include SJ in his trade list. That’s all.
I wonder if Stanley the Manly could turn Jarry, Howard and Mukhamadullin into Jordan Binnington.
I sure hope not
I’d rather a year of Winnington over 2 years of Jarry. Especially if Anderson is on the roster that year. Do you not want to give up Howard and Mukhamadullin?
I wanted 2 runs at the cup with Binnington instead of 3 with Jarry but after the offer sheet scandal no way was Bowman making a deal with Holland’s BF. Bowman is playing the short and long game with Levi learning is craft from Anderson and Jarry. The pressure is completely of Jarry and I think he does well with our new D and Coach.
🤞
Binnington will be available at the TDL for a lot less. If Jarry is bad, he can be waived to the minors. I’d like to see if Levi is ready, with Anderson as a mentor. Also, if Jarry can be rehabbed a bit, then we may be able to flip him later.
Pretty sure Binnington had the worst regular season of any goalie last year. Yes, worse than Jarry even.
Why in the world would that be a good thing.
I would absolutely HATE that like one of the worst trades in organizational history.
Howard is being turned into Marchenko
Jarry is being turned into a 1997 Plymoth Sundance.
This is probably the worst possible trade I have seen purposed.
2 solid prospects and a better goalie for the worst performing goalie in the league??
Is it satire?
I didn’t think so originally, but apparently yes. LOL!
Mukhamadullin is pretty blocked on the LHD depth chart. I know they think he can play both sides, but they tried that with Walman and it was awful. I like Howard, but he’s getting pushed out of a spot. Especially if they add another top 6 winger. And Jarry is Jarry. But obviously I’m alone in this. Binnington looked great at 4 Nations and Olympics.
It was fine with Walman in 2025 after he got here and in the playoffs – not good this past year when he could barely pivot due to battling injury.
Bowman has mentioned in 3 separate public interviews that Shakir plays both sides and played more right than left next season. I have little doubt they have high hopes for his development and he isn’t trade bait.
How is Howard getting pushed out of a spot? Have they acquired a top six winger?
One of my biggest “sadnesses” of last season was by how much I felt the Oilers lowered their ceiling. It was done for a damned good reason; in order to raise their floor which had sunk to unbelievable depths before they added Dickinson and Murphy.
I felt the best versions of the Oilers were the Vegas-loss year and the first Cup loss. I know the 2025 Cup run appeared dominant but it niggles at me how they were a Byfield mistake away from being a first round exit. They handled Vegas in impressive fashion. Dallas too, at first glance, but I always felt like that series was ultra-bizarre in that the Oilers kept getting a fortunate lead never trailing once after the Game 1 fiasco. Anyway, just one man’s opinion.
My main point is that, as this team is currently consutrcted they’re upper limit seems to be significantly lower than the 2023 and 2024 versions. Those versions featured;
How does this year’s team compare to last year even?
I read the excellent breakdown of Ryan Shea at ON. Even if we’re wildly optimisitc I think the best case is that he can be as good as Nurse for less than half the price.
So then that leaves us with three areas we can hope to be better at in 2027.
So let’s be a little honest, we don’t actually have better players than last year, or at least not at the top of the payroll.
But what we do now have in decent NHL players in every one of the 23 roster spots. It’s a good, solid team that as currently constructed could threaten to host the first round of the playoffs. But we are in good shape salary cap wise.
All of this to say, at some point between now and June of next year the entire focus should be on adding one more Olympic level forward. This is where McDavid and perhaps Leon can really earn their stripes; don’t worry about picking coaches get out there and start recruiting Canadian and European stars to come compete for a Cup in Edmonton to combat what the US Olmpians are doing. I’m looking at Robert Thomas, Sid Crosby, Mark Scheifele, Matt Barzal, Adam Fantilli, Bo Horvat, Owen Tippett and Quentin Byfield. These are players who aren’t on anyone’s list just yet but are Canadian, haven’t won much lately and could be swayed by playing with Connor. Then there are the Euros like Pastrnak, Nylander, Forsberg, EP40. All players not winning much and getting to that age when time matters.
Patrick Kane.
Check out Sid’s piece on Shea.
https://oilersnation.com/news/ryan-shea-oilers-blue-line
Shea’s main weakness is defending zone entries, but on that measure he is still markedly better than Nurse. When it comes to transporting the puck, he is in elite territory. Shea will also be a substantive upgrade on the PK.
I was skeptical of dealing Nurse because I believed it would be difficult to find someone better and difficult to get rid of the contract without retention. I was wrong.
Shea will be a big upgrade overall. I saw a report that Carolina and Tampa Bay were also interested in him — that bodes well.
I think it depends on what a person sees as making a winning team. I think the roster is stronger and has better all round players now. The D group can move the puck. In the first Cup run only the top pair and at times Kulak could other than a play here and there
The goaltending has more upside, Stu and Pick were at the bottom stats wise both runs. Let’s not forget that in the first run they went down 3-0 and only an improbable come back made it a series, driven by the elite players. I see the team as stronger overall now, with more help for the elites, and less players that are prone to losing the system. That will be more willing to play inside
Holland likes players that look like good NHL players, but aren’t necessarily effective players in the hardest games: Ceci, Des, McLeod, Foegele, Kane a lot of the time, etc
I believe LT has pointed out that one of the biggest drop offs between last year’s version of the team and the two SCF finishes has been the xGF% of our bottom 6. Seriously, if they can float anywhere close to 50% then this team is cooking. Savoie and Howard will hopefully solidify roles in the top 6. More depth is never a bad thing, but I feel like we should be targeting a middle 6/top 9 kind of guy who can play up and down the lineup. As an example, the more I think about Giroux, I feel like he’d be such a perfect fit for this team. I’m not holding my breath as it honestly sounds like he’s heading to Philly or sticking with he Sens, but that’s the kind of guy we need to match our previous depth. Kap is sort of a poor man’s version of that player, but he is a bit too suspect defensively.
Re this and @Slushy – My memory of 2024 is of a powerful PK having a big impact, not just on disallowing (and scoring SH) goals, but in inspiring the whole team to do great things. Some bottom six guys having a huge impact, and especially in the SCFs. The elite stumbled in Game 7. The only goal came from the miracle that was Janmark those playoffs.
Re 2025 – yes @Slushy, a whisker away from losing in the first round. And then they weren’t. Again, if my memory serves, unexpected scoring —and unexpected defensive play!— from across the lineup. Until SCF. Then, the foreshadowing for 2025-26: elites cheating for offence, leaving D and G to hold the bag.
The proof will be in the pudding, but…
I think the team is improved simply in the prospect of replacing a gifted but overpaid athlete with what appears to be an honest to goodness hockey player for half the price – one who can still transport the puck and contribute to transition, which imo this team as currently constructed absolutely requires.
Hockey IQ on the blue is a championship must and I’m sorry but Nurse rarely if ever demonstrated that quality or awareness. My eyes could never trust him and, though I’m far from a Staples fan, his analysis puts Nurse underwater through *five* straight postseasons.
While I could accept Doc coming back if there was no deal worth making, I don’t see how Oil improve or take that next step w him on the roster as anything other than a third pair Dman getting paid third pair dollars.
Of course I hope Nurse crushes it in SJ and everybody wins. And of course the Oil may not in fact improve. But at least now it’s possible. I don’t think it was with the team and its cap structure needing so much from such a flawed player.
I agree and think they still need someone who can drive the third line. I like Dickinson and he was the best available but I don’t think he is the 3C on a cup winner unless he has substantial help.
Nuge is substantial help, right? Nuge and Kap would be solid help, no? A good reason to start Kap at 3RW and not on Drai’s wing where Howard should be given the first opportunity.
Hi everyone..i suggest this song for this subject?..haha
“ballad of the sad young men”
a great song sung by a master Mark Murphy, before there was a Kurt Elling
https://youtu.be/EWkK-o2OC9c?si=bPIBX0_7srV7MbiC
Thank you!
you are very welcome!..
I recall him sitting in with our band at Andantes….killer singer and super nice guy!
indeed he did!..
I think it’s funny they have not released the terms of Babcock’s contract.
I would say a shade over the highest paid Coach 6.5 million. Either that or performance based on regular season wins then playoff round wins etc. I wonder if any coaches have a performance based bonuses?
Pretty much exactly what he did in the AHL last season and what Bowman spoke about in detail on with Wilkins yesterday. He was asked to, and became, impactful away from the pick. Bowman sounded highly impressed with his progression last season and acknowledged the team does not have a ton of natural goal scorers.
I think it would behoove the org to have him on the team and in the top 6. Let’s not forget, there are 4 exhibition games and a max of two for vets over 100 games. There is no time for competition for roster spots but only to “see the lineup” and get ready.
I want to see what Howard can do in the top 6, and I don’t want Bowman to acquire anyone who can block him. We paid a dear price to acquire Howard, and the kid has done everything asked of him to earn the shot.
Scoring wingers are the cheapest thing to acquire at the TDL.
Stauff and Louie talking about team toughness and Stauff saying they, my mid-season, he could see Dach at 3LW and Clattenburg called up. Was quick to say Clatt has to work on his game but if he does, he could see it mid-season. That is exactly what I’ve been saying and I go further to provide the facts that he simply did not do that past re-assignment last season. Here is hoping he listens to his organization this season and works on hockey skill come Sept and Oct – the org knows he can hit and fight and has no hesitation to do either, he does not need to prove that any longer.
Who is going to sit or get demoted?
Isn’t it great to have all this competition for roster spots all of a sudden?
A question to be asked in January, right?
He seemed to have exceeded expectations when he was called up. He played a mature game with no glaring mistakes. I don’t know if you know this but Connor was Captain in Junior the man can skate and he has skill. It’s one hell of a story a 5th round pick of the Edmonton Oilers played meaningful minutes and games as a 20 years-old. The longer you’re an Oiler fan you realize at his age and draft position this is a once or twice occurrence over a 50 year period.
I don’t know if you know this:
No one throughout your clatt for president campaign has been slagging him, not cheering for him or trying to fight with you and surely to a person are aware of how great for the kid and amazing it is he has games on his record already. No one doesn’t think it’s great that in extremely limited minutes he didn’t do much obvious stuff to hurt team and it’s great he hustle mucked a goal in even.
Now next step = kid has to listen to what everyone around team is reporting needs to happen next. He needs to put the work in.
Reja what happens next in comments is not that important but it would be great if you get noone is against this kid. There is clearly a long held fandom for underdog longshot winning lottery ticket narratives. No one isn’t not cheering for him. OP has never not been cheering for him.
sincerely from 3rd party observation:
-> he just has some tics that you aren’t scratching you are grating nonsensically into.
He is one of those IPSO FACTO laywering types with i do not doubt fanatic level fact made simply reference is simply a fact relayed. There is no legal logic reason to contest that. There is definitely no acceptance to mischaracterize his character or intent simply for relaying AHL coaches thoughts. Slanderous!! While hilarious for a time surely enough is enough.
You both agree you are cheering for the kid, he is a longshot, it really is impressive he has played up already.
Don’t shoot or accuse messenger by mischaracterizing his intent as opinion against. And if tje biggest sort of man -> with this statement direct from GM’s mouth:
Do you get it yet?
He did not do even close to enough of what they were hoping he would to stand a chance of making him an easy no question great chance out of camp. He didn’t listen to what coach and staff were trying to work on to help his development.
They are still hoping he hears them and it’s a huge thing to even still be mentioned as s potential penciled in mid season call-up.
GM is saying and hoping he hears the messages.
The message the chaulk quote OP reported to you last season.
I hope he listens and gets it.
For our sake i hope you also get you have been fighting a narrative tbat only exists in your head and projecting it onto OP as who your holy crusade is rallying to war agaimst for the sake of this good kid’s….reputation….respect…???
Do you get it?
Your comment still seems like you are avoiding the obvious -> “yes” and slyly/annoyingly kicking a narrative like it’s rocks at a factual tic’d routine gym ocd almost surely personality type for no goof reason here again.
Please there is nothing to win noone is fighting or disagree do you believe what the GM says to he true opinion of team where he is at finally?
Yes or no under oath style and leave the lawyer to his business less word wasted or defensive due to implications!
Only you can put down a cross you bear for no reason on this topic.
Oiler fans are knowledgeable fans so don’t take this personal. We’re not splitting the atom by mentioning a 21year-old 5th round mucker needs to work on his game. Every player in the league does should we mention this after every time McDavid name is brought up. Bowman was caught with his pants down last year, scrubs were taking runs at Leon-Connor-Nuge-Bouchard. Do you remember us not having an answer for Lomberg shenanigans, well I do and so does Bowman. Your post in my opinion is minimizing the achievement of the kid who didn’t look out of place with the speed of the game. If you don’t like his style say so you’re entitled to like or dislike any Oiler you want.
Yes, working on his game needs to be mentioned because he refused to do it for half a season upon reassignment. His coach was alluding to it publicly, he was been moved down the lineup and then healthier when ready to return from injury – ECHL call-ups playing ahead of him.
If he would have done what was asked, he’s likely in the conversation right now but he isn’t because he didn’t put in the work. I’m not saying what he did wasn’t work, hell ya the game he played was work – but it wasn’t what he was being asked to do.
If he’s so terrible why was he called up. If he’s not coachable why does his name get mentioned by Bowman, The Holland days are done no more Erne and broken Sutter blocking the path of big skilled energetic youths like Clattenburg. Clattenburg is an energy player like lomberg who’s hung around the league for 10 because he can skate and so can Clattenburg. As a fan what are your expectations of Clattenburg? I would be interested to hear it.
Where did I say he was terrible?
I spoke to his post-call up play – how doe that have anything to do with his call up?
My expectations of Clattenburg are top work on the things the organization has asked him too, including his coach. Even Stauffer says he has things to work on before he can play in the NHL – here is hoping maturation removes his thinking he can ignore direction and coaching.
None of that matters one iota.
He has to work on certain hockey skills to play in the NHL – Stauff himself expressed that.
He did not work on those hockey still when re-assigned to the AHL – I saw it with my eyes and his head coach mentioned it multiple times though the season “we are trying to get Clatt to play hockey” – he refused and set himself back. If he committed to what the org wanted, he’d be in the conversation for an NHL roster spot right now but he left last season playing behind ECHL call-ups and then healthy scratched in the playoffs when he was ready to return from injury and now back at development camp.
No offense meant in that comment either.
Genuinely said.
It’s a weird feeling having a very solid July 1 (it seems), being comfortable with the team and having quite a bit of cap space and flexibility.
Roster spots being the team limitator right now, not cap space. Ability to run a 23 man roster with room. Shit, they could have a few players on regular IR (does not open cap space) and fill in with left NHL replacements.
This could be a legit really big deal as the season moves on.
Did anyone in the west, let alone a real rival, really improve, at all let alone more than the Oilers? I mean Vegas might be worse and they are right up on the cap signing specific contracts to max needed LTIR – they don’t have the flexibility to improve on-season like the Oilers do.
I’m told some teams added cap space and any day now they’ll pull off the huge move that will end all moves but that the Oilers won’t be able to do that with their cap space for reasons…..
What a difference a few days makes. I wouldn’t have bet on Bowman pulling this off and I’m glad to be wrong about it.
That is so true! Because cap space really really matters until it doesn’t, then it’s just mismanagement and. But if you HAVE cap space you CAN weaponize it and make great bets, but then having cap space is irrelevant and you can’t weaponize it until I guess you “look at it”? Is this Schroedingers cap space then?
It’s awesome to come out no glaring holes in theory. Cost money additions none of the “sold to highest bidder variety tickle me elmo options”. Like sniper scoped need vs options all on better end of dollar cap hits relative to field.
Strategic finese no smartest man in room or desperate acts at last call trades or overpays.
All that and bag of chips on right side of rule change for cap compliant playoff rosters. Like half price deadline adds fit a lot easier and they have room without paying to shed to do just that.
As close to as balance backfilled almost as you could hope.
I would love aciari on a 1 year personally the RH faceoff dominate/pk effective mid ice clearing strength talent ideal 4th line checking center.
Just what is left out there think that center vet solid depth more value than what is left for 2ndary top 6 scorers.
Like rather go into season giving savoie and howard honest shots at top6-9 solidify minute at bats and have center vet pk depth maybe saw off or better bottom 6 nailed shut.
Tarasenko jist isn’t good enough bet to cap out for at start of season.
There’s too many young defenders, there’s got to be a trade or two more coming.
Emberson
Stastney
Shakira
Carfagna
Akey
Regula
Leppanen
Cibulka
They’re not all going to graduate, Bowman should cull half of them.
Stastney, Akey, Regula, Leppanen out? 3 of those 4?
They have Brown/Stillman still in the AHL, Emberson/Shakira on the big team.
Condors:
Brown
Stillman
Carfagna
Cibulka
Leppanen maybe?
Bunch of unsigned prospects, not room for everyone.
Time for a 3 for 1 trade.
I think Josh Brown is a player who stays, after that we’ll see what the 7-8-9-10 look like. Currently, I would rank them:
This is probably about how the team sees them. There are 5 NHL D signed past this season (1-5 on your list) and 2 prospects (Cibulka & Akey). I suspect Mukhamadullin gets a multi-year extension as well. They have two unsigned players than need to be signed by next summer (Fischer & Sharp) both of whom seem locks to be signed. Other than Stastney, I don’t see any real decision they’ll need to make before mid-season.
Having 7 NHL D and 8 AHL D isn’t an issue for this summer. I do believe we’ll see some go with in-season trades.
isn’t Fischer pushing for free agency? like Marino before him?
We don’t know that. All we know is that he went back to school for his senior year.
I expect him signed in March when his season is done and playing pro!
Imo you’d like to see the AHL herd thinned alil, last thing I want to see is a prospect sitting games in the AHL because they’re being juggled in and out.
I agree with LT’s rankings, I also think you’re not going to see Edmonton run 4 young guys 6,7,8,9. I wont be shocked to see an older fella brought in to about the 8-9th spot that’s clearly more then what Josh Brown does.
Imo Stastney, Akey, Leppanen thinned before the fall camps open up.
There’s a narrative about Babcock being tough on younger players which I don’t believe is true.
If you look at the 2017-2018 Maple Leafs, there were a lot of young men who found their way. Some of them were stars — Marner, Matthews, Nylander. Others were prime-aged, like Rielly, Gardiner, Kadri. Others were young and maybe not expected to have the careers they would end up having (Kapanen, Brown, Hyman).
Babcock loved Hyman. I remember a quote from him, around that time, when Hyman returned from injury. Leafs were struggling a bit at the time. He said to reporters (paraphrasing), “Hyman, he’s pretty good, isn’t he?” He wasn’t the Zach Hyman then that he is now, mind you.
The 2026-2027 Oilers will have fewer young players than that Leafs squad, but the ones we have will be important ones. I suspect if Howard can ingratiate himself well to Babcock, he’ll get a ton of opportunity.
If anything, it’s a few guys that were washed up vets at the time that they crossed paths with Babcock that seem to have a very vocal axe to grind with Babcock over the years. York, Commodore, Modano, Spezza.
The Franzen thing is real weird one though … he played his entire career for Babcock, and they won a Cup together. I’m guessing that Babcock thought he needed some tough love to squeeze a bit more performance out of him at the end of his career. He miscalculated, the old school approach didn’t work and the relationship fell apart.
I’ve suspected that as well. Lots and lots of NHL coaches have been and are “yell at them till they’re good” types. We even have a term for coaches that aren’t jerks in “player’s coach”. I don’t believe I’d enjoy working for Babcock but I feel the same way about Cassidy, Tocchet, Keenan, Berube, Crawford, Tortorella, Sutter, Burns, or even Scotty Bowman.
Rejean Houle, who played for Bowman with the Canadiens in the 1970s, summed up Bowman’s mind games by telling Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated, “To understand Scotty, you have to know one thing: What human nature dictates, he does the opposite.”
Do I think Babcock pushed too hard with some guys? Yes. Does it make him wildly different than some other coaches? I don’t think so.
I think Babcock got that reputation in Detroit when Holland was the GM. You’re right, when you look at the ice time given out when he was in charge of the TML he used lots of young guys and seemed to use his top three lines and top 4 D pretty evenly as well. A 21 year old Morgan Rielly as his ice-time leader over 30 year old Dion Phaneuf but the difference was about a minute from 1-4 on the D.
I think that Babcock prioritizes players that can play well and if a young player can show that, he’ll play.
Anyone who that is prepared to follow the plan and skate hard will be fine. Opting out on the details isn’t going to fly anymore
Savoie and Howard are assets for the OIlers to upgrade thier top six with a legitimate NHL forward that will score playing with Draisatl and McDavid, especially Draisatl.
The present is all.
As always.
The problem with the present is all is that it passes. If this is not the first time that “the present is all” then the present has already been deemed nothing. The only reason the McDavid window feels like it is on the verge of slamming shut is because the future was sacrificed for “the present”. The fastest way to close the window is to move out good, young, cost efficient players with upside for aging, declining, expensive vets (who might have NMC’s).
Very much this. They sent a bunch of youth out the door but seem to have realized the mistake. Trading a couple of under 25, $1M scorers for an $8M 30 or older “established” scorer that produces marginally more in the short term is not a winning strategy.
The Oilers score enough. They were 6th in scoring last year and 1st on the PP. Acquiring a star scorer doesn’t change a whole lot when you have to forego stronger players through the rest of your roster.
Savoie looks like a good bet to be a consistent 20G/50P guy who doesn’t cheat for offense, plays a solid 200 ft game and can help on the PK, all of this on a dirt cheap ELC. Not quite elite, but exactly what you want in a complementary top 6 forward. If Howard trends the way we hope and improves defensively, then he will be the shooter’s version of Savoie. These are the guys who will keep our window open for the next 2-3 years, not the guys you give away to go whale hunting.
Couldnt disagree more. I respect your differing view from mine but believe this idealogy to be a very very wrong.
Youth is important. No team wins without some “marbled in” as lowetide elegantly put it.
GM’s can take a view of the future (even just 6 months down the road) and I expect Bowman has this 75 games 20 goals vision of Howard in his mind.
Coaches live in the win the next game at all costs world and bury young players who don’t instantly produce. I’m worried Babcock won’t give Howard the runway needed to be 75 games 20 goals.
Coaches and the team need some breathing room to play younger players and experiment. This team takes forever to get in gear and that makes it exceedingly difficult to give the young guys a chance. My hope is with more structure, better goalie options, and a more even defensive group we won’t fall on our faces out of the gate this year.
Smart coaches realize they will need the youth to contribute later on and into playoffs. While also not burning out the elders.
It would be a mistake to not have them ready to do that.
I think many don’t realize that Howard is a very coachable kid and a hard worker.
He proved both down in Bako and worked on the exact things the org asked him to and develop in the areas they required.
I am also not positive he gets the runway, I really have no idea what to expect from Babcock and his thoughts going in to the season but I do expect Howard to prove coachable and hard-working and I think Babcock will see that.
Without saying the name or the exact words, Staiff saying the Oilers are trying hard to add Giroux.
Just looked and could not believe Giroux is 37. He average 16 minutes toi last year and had 49 points. Decent.
Wait, what? Didn’t I just read the name Jeff Skinner in the last comment?
can’t wait to see the contract, any suggestions? NMC?
Would a 1 year @ $2.5 million be enough for Giroux?
I would expect a low base with performance bonuses similar to Andersen – not a $1MM base, maybe $2.5MM is realistic.
I still don’t see him coming to the West for the first time in his career but I think the org is trying.
I’d offer that and maybe throw in 1M in bonuses for going deep in the playoffs? Would be an overpay based on his last contract, but not crippling and for just one year.
What a great sports weekend we have on tap.
Oilers fans can continue to bask in the glow of newfound management competency and cap efficiency, while pondering the myriad lineup options now possible
Football fans can cheer on the green and gold in the hopes that they can continue their current run as the only unbeaten club in the CFL with a win in the Lion’s den.
And those other football fans (that’s soccer to you mate), can rally across Canada as our side plays an historic match that could launch our country into the elite class if Team Canada can channel the hopes of the country and pull off the upset.
Let’s do this!!
I’m just so happy the vibes have flipped. It’s not ALL sunshine and rainbows but the next 3 months of discussion won’t be complete doom and gloom which, at least for me, isn’t not near as much fun.
Jeff Skinner Summer all over again. Jeff Skinner Fall and Jeff Skinner winter will come.
Boo
But without the real negatives of Nurse and Skinner.
Acknowledge reality.
At least you have your mighty St Louis Blues to cheer for.
🙄
Skinner had no role on the team. He was a one dimensional scorer who never saw PP time because he wasn’t good enough. Same with Mangiapane and Roslovic and Ardvidsson. These are valuable fits on bad teams. Giroux will have a defined role in the bottom six and actually provide value by winning face offs and being a pest.
I say, Sir! I say.
I like the layers Bowman brought in. Not guaranteed success, but the left side of the defense and the net especially have more than one solution available. A most reasonable approach for a team hiring a coach who will live out of a suitcase for the year.
Bowman is showing a much wider range than what we saw before, he can manage a lot of balls in the air. Short and long term thinking, proactive, strategy seems more defined. I like the that he gets the cap, and that you don’t have to max out just bcs the owner will spend, leave room to manoeuvre and make moves when something good comes available
Also the alignment in the org is becoming apparent, Babcock even mentioned it – GM coach scouts farm
Who starts game 1 of the playoffs?
Clubhouse leader right now is Andersen but imagine if it’s Levi on merit or Jarry on merit – Neither is out of the realm of reasonableness.
Feel free to doom and gloom everything – I’ll be optimistic and post with intrigue and excitement for what is ahead.
I wonder if the Oilers’ cap situation coming out of July 1, 2024 is any different coming out of July, 1, 2026…..?
You sound like someone who is always buying put options. 🙂
I haven’t quite forgiven Bowman for not matching the Holloway offer sheet or for the very poor Frederic contract, but I am feeling quite a bit more positive after the July 1 moves.